Impact isolation sports helmet

ABSTRACT

An improved sports helmet construction with a spaced two-part rigid outer impact shell configuration, each having an independent shock absorbing elastomeric support layer. Each impact outer helmet shell half isolates vector induced force impacts occurring during sports play while maintaining a head padding supportive contiguous inner shell about the player&#39;s head. A resilient gasket joins the independent outer shells along a continuous center helmet line maintaining force dependent isolation alignment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to head protection and specifically to improvedsports helmets having an impact force isolation outer shell providingimproved impact protection.

The potential for a head injury while participating in a sports activityis dependent on the type and nature of the sport and the skill of theplayer. Head gear capable of withstanding repeated impacts withoutinjury to the individual is critical, especially in high repetitiveimpact sports such as football. In an effort to reduce head injuries,various protection groups have been established for evaluating thesafety of helmets and related accessories. Most notable is the nonprofitgroup National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic EquipmentNOCSAE. The members of NOCSAE include the American College HealthAssociation, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, AthleticEquipment Managers Association, National Association of Secondary SchoolPrincipals, National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association,National Athletic Trainers Association, National High School AthleticCoaches Association, Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association and theCollege Football Association. NOCSAE was formed in 1969 in response tothe need for a performance test standard for football helmets. Sincethen standards have been developed for football, baseball, softball,lacrosse with additional standards for other equipment currently beingevaluated.

Accordingly, a helmet is needed that provides superior comfort, paddingand weight advantages for the user while simultaneously offering a moreyielding external surface for contact with opposing objects. Thisexternal surface will, in itself, define an energy absorption and yetwill offer a proportional softer imparted impact, hence all of theplayers are protected from injury impacts through their use of suchdesigned equipment.

2. Description of Prior Art

Prior art helmets have been designed to provide the maximum protectionwhile maintaining size and weight standards. Such helmet constructionscan be seen in prior art U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,820,163, 4,404,690, 4,903,346,5,493,736 and 6,226,801.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,163 is directed to a football helmet having asectional liner of energy absorbing material that conforms to the shapeof the outer shell.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,690 illustrates a hockey helmet having a multiplepart construction wherein an internal top portion is attached todepending front, opposite opposing sides and a rear portion forming ahead encompassing helmet construction.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,346 claims a multi-part protective helmet with asplit inner shell liner with a one-piece outer shell positionedthereover forming a closure for the inner shell.

A sports helmet protection device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,736having a modified structure with an inner cap attached to an inner shellin spaced relation thereto. Additionally, upright post extend fromaccompanying shoulder pads for engagement with a helmet collar extensionforming a unitized multi-part helmet and pad configuration.

Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,801 is directed to a football helmet havinga removable inflatable protective liner formed on multiple inflatablecells in construction in communication with one another.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A sports helmet that provides for enhanced protection by force impactisolation with the outer helmet shell. A pair of identical helmet shellsare resiliently joined together by a continuous central gasket fittingand a perimeter resilient edge piping. Respective independent shockabsorbing isolation layers are bonded between each outer shell to aninner continuous support shell from which multiple helmet pads andlinings are so positioned.

The energy absorbing properties of the helmet provide protection to thewearer and further operate to reduce the impact ability of the helmetwhen contacting another object. In this manner, the helmet provides alevel of protection by isolating and absorbing a portion of the shock,lessening the force and reducing the opportunity for significant impactdamage to the player's head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective front, side and top view of the helmet of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the outer helmet shell,joining gasket and energy absorbing support layer and inner shell.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the helmet of the invention withportions broken away for illustration.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective front, top and side view of the helmetof the invention illustrating the primary components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a sports helmet 10 can be seenhaving a two-part outer shell 11A and 11B defining an exterior contourof the helmet shown in this example chosen for illustration. Each of theouter shells 11A and 11B define the respective right and left half of anouter helmet each with contoured top surface 12, integral continuouscontoured depending side surfaces 13 and corresponding rear surface 14.Each of the outer shell portions has an adjoining edge 15A and 15B thatwhen so aligned in spaced registration with one another will define theexterior helmet contour as hereinbefore described.

The outer shells 11A and 11B are secured indirectly to a continuouscontiguous interior helmet support shell 16, best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4of the drawings. The inner helmet support shell 16 provides for interiorpad assembly 17 support as will be described in greater detailhereinafter.

The outer surface shells 11A and 11B are bonded to the inner helmetshell 16's surface 16A by corresponding layers of elastomeric gelsynthetic resin material 18A and 18B, in this example, which isolatesand localizes impact force, indicated generally by force arrows IF,imparted thereto thus diminishing the overall severity of the impact.

The respective outer shells 11A and 11B, aligning edges 15A and 15B areregisterably engaged to a centralized resilient foam helmet strip 19,best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 of the drawings. The helmet strip 19 is ofa cross-sectionally rectangular configuration with oppositely disposedspaced parallel top and bottom surfaces 20 and 21 and interconnectingside surfaces 22 and 23. A helmet shell engagement channel is formedlongitudinally in each of the respective side surfaces at 22A and 23Afor registerable engagement by the hereinbefore described respectivehelmet outer shell adjoining edges 15A and 15B as best seen in FIG. 2 ofthe drawings. The foam strip 19 acts as an isolation gasket between theshells 11A and 11B absorbing and isolating force impact to therespective shells during game play. As noted, multiple interior padassemblies 17 shown generally for illustration purposes only in FIG. 1and in broken lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings are positioned withcorresponding pad support liner L, well known within the art into theinterior surface of the inner shell 16. The interior pad assembly 17provide direct contact with the player's head, not shown, as is typicalin sports helmet construction and may be of any acceptable and approvedarrangement and configuration applicable within the industry.

Referring now to FIG. 5 of the drawings, the basic component parts ofthe improved sports helmet 10 of the invention as described areillustrated wherein the independent outer exterior surface shells 11Aand 11B define a segmented independent impact energy absorptionconstruction with each being bonded to the respective elastomeric gelsynthetic resin layers 18A and 18B. The centralized shell adjoiningresilient foam strip 19 is configured so as to registerably engage therespective aligned edges 15A and 15B of the shell in translateral spacedrelation to one another assuring that no direct impact force willeffectively transfer therebetween.

As such, the inner helmet shell 16 bonded to the correspondingelastomeric synthetic resin gel material layers 18A and 18B provides asupport enabled structure for interior helmet pad assemblies 17registerably retained therewithin. Resilient edge piping 24 is engagedaround the perimeter edges of the respective outer exterior surfaceshells 11A and 11B, synthetic resin layers 18A and 18B, respective foamband 19 end edges, and inner shell 16 corresponding perimeter adjacentedge 16A as a unifying contiguous banding element there about.

While this invention has been described in what is presently consideredto be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to beunderstood that it is capable of further modifications and is not to belimited to the disclosed embodiment.

It will thus be seen that a new and novel improved sports helmet forreduced impact force transfer has been illustrated and described andthat various changes and modifications may be made thereto withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. Therefore I claim:

1. A helmet comprising, a multiple segmented outer helmet shell securedindirectly to and integral inner shell, a shock absorbing bonding layerof material between said respective outer shells and said inner shell,an isolation alignment gasket engaged between said outer shells,multiple helmet pads selectively secured to said inner shell defining ahead engageable contour within said helmet.
 2. The helmet set forth inclaim 1 wherein said segmented outer shell comprises, a first and secondrigid continuous outer shell configuration.
 3. The helmet set forth inclaim 1 wherein said shock absorbing bonding layer of material betweensaid respective outer shells and said inner shell comprises, independentlayers of elastomeric synthetic gel resin bonded there between.
 4. Thehelmet set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner shell is of a continuouscontiguous unified member of synthetic resin material having a contourand dimension so as to be registerable in spaced relation with saidrespective multiple segmented outer helmet shell.
 5. The helmet setforth in claim 1 wherein said isolation alignment gasket comprises, aband of resilient synthetic foam material having oppositely disposedouter side edge receiving channels there within.
 6. The helmet set forthin claim 2 wherein said first and second rigid contoured outer shellsare formed from synthetic resin composite material.
 7. The helmet setforth in claim 2 wherein said first and second contoured outer shellsfurther comprise, identical perimeter edge contours effacing saidisolation alignment gasket registerable there between.
 8. The helmet setforth in claim 3 wherein said shock absorbing bonding layer ofelastomeric synthetic gel resin material is of a non-uniform determinedthickness.
 9. The helmet set forth in claim 1 wherein said outer helmetshells, said shock absorbing body layer and said inner shells respectiveperimeter edges are registerable wherein a resilient edge piping thereabout.